
REPORT 



Analysis of Cotton-l¥ool, Cotton-Seed, Indian Corn and 
tlie Yam Potato, 



MADE FOR THE 



/BLACK OAK AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. 



Prof, C. uMhEPARD. 



l^. 



CHARLESTON : 
PRINTED BY MILLER & BROWNE, 

1846. 



. j ^"^ 



REPORT, &c. 



1st Cotton-Wool. 
One hundred parts by weight of cotton- wool on being heated in 
a platina crucible, so long as a brightly burning gas continued to be 
emitted, lost 86.09 parts — 'the residuum being a perfectly charred 
cotton, which, on being ignited under a muffle until every particle 
of carbon was consumed, lost 12.985, and left an almost purely 
white ash, whose weight was rather under 1 p. c. or, 0.9247. Of 
this ash, about 44 p. c. was found to be soluble in water. It con- 
tained 12.88 p. c. of silicious sand, which must have been acquired 
adventitiously in the process of harvesting the fibre. Deducting 
the sand from the ash, the constitution of the latter is as follows : — 

Carbonate of Potassa (with possible traces of Soda,) - 44.19 

Phosphate of Lime with traces of Magnesia, - - 25.44 

Carbonate of Lime, - ... - 8.87 

Carbonate of Magnesia, - - . - 6.S5 

Silica, 4.12 

Alumina, (probably accidental,) ... 1.40 

Sulphate of Potassa, .... - 2.70 
Chloride of Potassium, *) 
Chloride of Magnesium, | 

Sulphate of Lime, ^ and loss, - - 6.43 
Phosphate Potassa, [ 

Oxide Iron in minute traces, j '■ 

100.00 

But since it is obvious that the carbonic acid in the above men- 
tioned salts must have been derived during the incineration of the 
cotton, the following view will more certainly express the impor- 
tant mineral ingredients abstracted by the cotton from the soil for 
every 100 parts of its ash, 

Potassa (with possible traces of Soda,) - - 31.09 

Lime, 17.05 

Magnesia, ..-..-- 3.26 

Phosphoric acid, 12.30 

Sulphuric acid, 1.22 

64,92 
For every 10,000 lbs, of cotton wool, then, about 60 lbs. of the 
above mentioned ingredients are substracted from the soil in the 
proportion indicated by the numbers appended, i. e. omitting frac- 
tions. 

1 



* ANALYSIS OF COTTON- WOOL, ETC. 

Potassa, '31 pounds. 

Lime, 17 

Magnesia, 3 

Phosphoric acid, 12 

Sulphuric acid, 1 

Several queries were submitted to me along with the sample to 
be analyzed, relative to the effect of soils on cotton. 1 regret to 
state that the almost total ignorance in which we are still left re- 
specting the composition of the varieties of this fibre, and the soils 
producing them prevents me from hazarding any explanations on 
the subject. This is the first distinctive analysis every made (at 
least so far as my knowledge extends,) of the cotton-wool. Nor 
am I acquainted with the properties of the soil which afforded it. 
Prior to any deductions, it is clear we must know the composition 
of each variety of cotton, as well as that of the soil it affects. At 
present I can only venture on connecting together two facts, which 
appear to occupy important relations to one another. The soil of 
St. Stephen's, which is said by F. A. Porcher, Esq., to be a stiff" 
clayey loam, produces the strongest and finest fibre of the Santee 
varieties. The Sea-Island qualities are supposed to owe their 
superiority to the use of marsh mud, which 1 have ascertained to 
be a clayey admixture, rich in alkalies and alkaline earths. Whe- 
ther the similarity between these two staples is influenced most (if 
it is affected at all,) by the chemical or mechanical qualities of the 
soils producing them, it is impossible to decide. It is also con- 
ceivable that the two sets of qualities may conspire to one and'the 
same end. 

2nd — Cot f on Seed. 

One hundred parts, heated as above, lost 77.475, and the tho- 
roughly charred residuum burned under the muffle, left 3.S56 parts 
of a perfectly white ash. The composition was found to be as 
follows : 

Phosphate of lime (with traces of Magnesia,) - - 61.64 

Phosphate of Potassa (with traces of Soda,) - - - 31.51 

Sulphate of Potassa, 2.55 

Silica, - . - 174 

Carbonate of Lime, Q.4X 

Carbonate of Magnesia, 26 

Chloride of Potassium, 25 

Carbonate of Potassa, ") 

Sulphate of Lime, ! 

Sulphate of Magnesia, f ^ ^°^^' ^ '^^ 

Alumina & oxides of iron & manganese in traces, 3 

100.00 

In comparing the above table with that afforded by the cotton- 
wool, a marked dissimilarity presents itself The ash of the cotton 
seed is fourfold that of the fibre ; while the former has also treble 
the phosphoric acid possessed by the latter, as will the more clearly 



ANALYSIS OF COTTON-WOOL, ETC. 5 

appear, when we present the analysis under another form, corres- 
ponding with the second table under cotton-wool. 

Phosphoric Acid, ..-.-- 45.35 

Lime, 29.79 

Potassa, 19.40 

Sulphuric acid, 1.16 



95.70 



From the foregoing analysis it would appear difficult to imagine 
a vegetable compound, better adapted for fertilizing land, than the 
cotton seed ; nor can we any longer be surprised at the well known 
fact, that soils long cropped with this staple, without a return to 
them of the inorganic matters withdrawn in the seed, become com- 
pletely exhausted and unproductive. 

^d— Indian Corn. 
One hundred parts heated to redness in a crucible, so long as a 
brightly burning flame was emitted, lost 81.05 parts. The com- 
pletely charred residuum on being ignited beneath a mufile, upon 
a platina foil, until all the carbon was consumed, left 0.95 parts of 
less than 1 per cent, of an easily flowing clear glass. This ash has 
the following composition : — 

Silica, 38.45 

« Potassa (with traces of Soda,) - . - - 19.51 

Phosphate of lime, 17.17 

Phosphate of Magnesia, - ... - 13.83 

Phosphate of Potassa, - - - . » 2.24 

Carbonate of lime, ....-- 2.50 

Carbonate of Magnesia, - - - - - 2.16 

Sulphate of Lime, ) ^q 
Sulphate of Magnesia, ) 

Silica mechanically present, - - - . 1.70 

Alumni, ...--.. traces. 

Loss, ...--... 1.65 



100.00 



Omitting the Silica as an unimportant loss to the soil, and the 
Carbonic acid which is a product of the analysis, we have in every 
100 parts of the ash of the Indian corn, the following important 
inorganic constituents : — ■ 

Potassa, 20.87 

Phosphoric acid, - 18.80 

Lime, -------- 9.72 

Magnesia, - - - ... 5,76 

55.15 



b ANALYSIS OP SWEET POTATO, ETC. 

That is to say, for eyery 1000 pounds of Indian corn sold from 
an estate, the land is robbed of 9J lbs. inorganic matter, whereof 
about 5J lbs. consist of principles of prime value to all species of 
crops.* 

Atk — Siceet Potato, ( Yam) 

The tubers analyzed, though fresh from the market, were obvi- 
ously drier than when first harvested. 

One hundred parts of the thinly sliced tubers on being thoroughly 
dried at a temperature of 200^, lost 58.96 per cent, of water. 

One hundred parts of the undried potato gave 1.09 parts, or ra- 
ther over 1 per cent, of a whitish ash stained in points of a bluish 
green color. 

Its composition was as follows : — 

Carbonate of Potassa, (with traces of Soda,) - - - 60.00 

Phosphate of Lime, ...._.. 14.-57 

Phosphate of Magnesia, ...... ^5.60 

Carbonate of Lime, -------- 5.39 

Carbonate of Magnesia, 3.80 

Chloride of Potassium, 4.60 

Sulphate of Potassa, 4.35 

Silica, 70 

Clhoride of Calcium, ~\ 

Sulphate of Magnesia and Lime, ! and loss, - 99 

Alumina, { ■ 

Oxides of Iron and manganese iu traces, 3 100.00 

One hundred parts of the ash from the sweet potato tuber, con- 
tains then the following inorganic principles which must have been 
withdrawn from the soil. 

Potassa, - - 43.59 

Phosphoric acid, ...... 11.08 

Lime, 10.12 

Magnesia, 3.80 

Potassium, --...-- 2.42 

Chlorine, 2.18 

Sulphuric acid, -.-..- 1.90 

85.09 

* In a recent number of the Boston Journal of Natural History, I obser\e some ob- 
servations by Dr. Ciiarles T. Jackson, on the inorganic constitution of Indian com, 
wherein Dr. J. supposes phosphoric acid to be present in the grain, in a free or un- 
combined slate. The experiment which led him to form this conjecture, did by no 
means succeed in my hands as described by him ; for althougli the grain was repeat- 
edly incinerated upon a bright platinafoil under muflle, still the metal lost none of its 
polish or malleability. Neither can I agreo with Dr. J. in his opinion of the presence 
of ammonia as a base in Indian corn, the volatile alkali obtained by him, being a pro- 
duct rather than an cductof the analysis. 



ANALYSIS, ETC. 



Tabular view of some nf the foregoing results. 

In Cotton Wool. Cotton Seed. Indian Corn. Potato. 

Weight of Ash, 0.9247 p. c. 3.856 p. c. 0.95 p. c. 1.09 p. 
Essential inorganic ingredients absorbed from the soil. 



By Cotton Wool. 


Cotton seed. 


Indian Corn. 


Fotato. 


Potassa, - 31.09 


19.40 


20.87 


43.59 


Lime, - 17.05 


29.79 


9.72 


10.12 


Magnesia, - 3.26 


trace 


5.76 


3.80 


Phosphoric acid, 12.30 


45.35 


18.80 


11.08 


Sulphuric acid, 1.12 


1.16 


trace 


1.90 


Chlorine, traces 
Potassium, 


traces 




2.18 
2.42 





One thousand pounds of each crop give of inorganic ingredients, 
of the 1st, H lbs. ; 2d, 3Si lbs. ; 3d, 9J lbs. ; and of the 4th, 
10 9-10 lbs. 

The proportions of inorganic matter that may be regarded as 
most important, are — In the 1st, 64-100 ; in the 2d, 95-100 ; in the 
3d, 55-100 ; in the 4th, 85-100 lbs. 

If equal weights of cotton-wool and Indian corn be taken from 
the same area of land, the deterioration to the soil in inorganic prin- 
ciples should be nearly the same. The yam, if compared with 
either of these crops, would appear to rob the soil of a still heavier 
weight of saline matter, although it is noticeable that the propor- 
tion of phosphoric acid abstracted by it is considerably less, and 
that no portion of it is thus withdrawn in the condition of phosphate 
of potassa. 

Finally. — Under the same weights, the cotton seed removes about 
four times as much of these ingredients as the yam, and six times 
the quantity that passes off by the cotton- wool, or the Indian corn. 
Moreover the proportion of phosphoric acid (the most valued mi- 
neral constituent of a soil,) in the cotton seed is nearly double that 
in Indian corn, and treble that in cotton-wool and the yam ; where- 
by the inestimable qualities of the cotton-seed as a fertilizer, be- 
comes still further apparent. 

The following letter from Prof. Shepard to F. A. Porcher, Esq., 
has been communicated for publication since the foregoing report. 

Charleston, April 22d, 1844. 
To Frederick A. Porcher, Esq. 

Dear Sir : — I thank you for calling my attention to the analysis 
of Sea-Island cotton-wool, by Dr. Ure, as quoted in the valuable 
Memoir on Cotton by the Hon. W. Seabrook. It is the first notice 
I ever had of any chemical examination besides my own, of the 
ash of cotton-wool, and it is proper that I should submit a few re- 
marks to your Society respecting the different results arrived at in 
the two cases. 

If the example analyzed by Dr. Ure, was a fair one, of which I 
confess I entertain some doubts, several discrepancies would appear 




000 931 702 8 

8 ANALYSIS OF COTTON-WOOL, ETC. 

to exist between the two varieties examined. Before 'alluded to 
these, however, I beg leave to state, that in my analysis, both of the 
wool and of the seed, I contented myself with the determination of 
the proportion of the phosphates, without establishing rigorously 
the ratio of the magnesia to the lime ; neither did my analysis give 
by itself the chloride of potassium, (muriate of potash.) Yet 1 am 
able to add, from a recurrence to my notes, that this compound fell 
short of 3 per cent. I am greatly surprised, however, to find the 
oxide of iron so high in the Sea-Island variety, since in that of the 
Santee it cannot equal half a part in one hundred. Should the ab- 
sence of carbonate of magnesia in the Sea-Island variety be verified, 
and the extraordinary content in the latter of chlorine and sulphu- 
ric acid be established, the inorganic difference between the two 
staples, will, to say the least, be as remarkable as those existing in 
their physical qualities. 

Comparative Statement. 
Table I. 

Earthy phosphates - - - - ■ 

Carbonate of lime, . . - - 

Carbonate of magnesia, - - - - 
Chloride of potassium, (muriate of potash,) 

Sulphate of potassa, - - - - - 

Silica, 

Peroxide of iron, . . - - - 

Table II. 
In this table the acids are separated from their bases, and the 
carbonic acid is omitted. 



Sea-Island. 


Santec. 


17.4 


25.44 


10.6 


8.87 


0.0 


6.S5 


9.9 


3.00? 


9.3 


2.70 


0.0 


4.12 


3.0 


0.50? 







Sea-Island. 


Santee. 


Potassa, 


- 


35.24 


31.09 


Lime, 


- 


- 10.28 


17.05 


Magnesia, 


- 


3.20 


3.26 


Potassium, 


- 


- 5.70 


1.50? 


Phosphoric acid. 


- 


9.84 


12.30 


Sulphuric acid, - 


- 


- 4.75 


1.22 


Chlorine, 


- 


4.20 


1.50? 


Peroxide of iron. 


- 


- 3.00 


less than 0.50 


Silica^ - 


. 


0.00 


4.12 


Phosphate of potassa, 


00 


1.50 



76.11 73.99 

Very respectfully, yours, 

CHARLES U. SHEPARD. 



